The Federal Capital Territory Administration has declared zero tolerance for infant and maternal mortality.
The Minister of State for Health, Mariya Mahmud, represented by the Mandate Secretary, FCT Health Services and Environment, Adedolapo Fasawe, stated this at a medical outreach themed “Renewed Hope Medical Mission,” held in Kuje Area Council of Abuja on Wednesday.
The United Nations Children’s Fund’s latest data showed that Nigeria records 107.2 infant deaths per 1000 live births.
Fasawe stated, “The truth is health care is essential to life. If we build all the roads and we don’t have good health care, we can’t enjoy the roads. We are thinking of the human development index, the social determinant of health, and the physical determinant of health and saying health is not just the absence of disease, it is your total well-being that’s why today, we have six departments.
“We have the department for antenatal care for pregnant women, general outpatient care, paediatrics, we have dental care, and we also have health insurance that will guarantee that even after today, you continue to have access to everything here. The thrust of this government is to renew hope and when we see programmes like this, it is to renew hope. We also want to thank the people of Kuje for their cooperation,” she said.
“This government is leaving no one behind. We don’t care about your party or religious affiliation. I want to reiterate that the government of President Bola Tinubu is committed to improving health indices. It is not acceptable for a pregnant woman to die because of complications. It is also not acceptable to us for a child to die at birth. That’s why there are over 360 healthcare centres in the FCT to give healthcare.”
She added, “We also have a food and nutrition session where when we see patients, we can identify malnourished children. We don’t only teach but we demonstrate, we have free HIV testing centres and a follow-up centre as well. Despite what Nigeria is going through, with programmes like this, there is hope for the country.”
Also speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary FCTA HSE who represented the mandated secretary, Babagana Adams assured of the HSE’s commitment to ensure a good health service delivery for the residents of the FCT.
The Chairman Kuje Area Council, Abdullahi Sabo Senior, represented by his Chief of Staff, Abdullahi Sabo expressed his gratitude to the Minister and his team for the laudable project.
“We are indeed very grateful and we are using this medium to assure the FCT minister and minister of state that the good people of Kuje are happy for all your developmental projects. We will continue to render support to the Renewed Hope agenda at our level.
The PUNCH reported that although the UN Sustainable Development Goal 3.1 targets the reduction of the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by the year 2030, Nigeria is behind the worldwide target by failing to reduce its high maternal mortality rate.
According to UNICEF, Nigeria represents 2.4 of the global population, yet it contributes 10 per cent of the global maternal mortality ratio. A 2023 WHO report stated that Nigeria has the second highest maternal, stillbirth, and neonatal deaths in the world followed by India.
This is estimated at 540 women and children per 1,000 at 12 per cent, while India is on 17 per cent at 788 deaths per 1,000. Nigeria shares the abysmal ranking with Pakistan (10 per cent) the Democratic Republic of the Congo (5.0 per cent), and Ethiopia (4.0 per cent).